Trade 38 | Annabelle Bini

Two days into my time in Hanover and I was holding a headstand in a yoga studio. However, this was Acroyoga; instead of my hands and head firmly planted on the floor I was in fact balancing upside down 2 feet off the floor held up by the legs of a large German man called Stefan. For my 8 days in Hanover Annabelle threw me in the deep end of a variety of activities/meet-ups/events: movie nights, lunch with friends, a 90s/electro swing night out, a piano concert and an abundance of yoga that ranged from breathing focused to "No, I can't understand what we're singing about" to "shit, please don't drop me I haven't sorted my health insurance yet".

Annabelle's early career had been a long term role in sports marketing that she left to pursue her own work, conscious of the identity defining nature such a job can have left too long. Working for herself took the form of coaching, yoga instruction, project management, freelance marketing projects and helping others in their pursuits tied to these interests. In hindsight I don't think I quite nailed down exactly what Annabelle's work often involved. Lots of fingers in lots of pies perhaps. Judging my the network she introduced me to and activities she kept on involving me in, her 'work' was no longer the defining element in her days and that seemed to be exactly what she was now enjoying.

I would call it the journey of a creative and optimistic dilettante.

— Annabelle Bini

It also meant no morning commute, which turned our shared habit of productivity sprees at 12pm into lazy mornings in one of the cosier apartments the project has offered... an attribute likely bolstered by the fact I'd launched my first international trade somewhere colder than England.

This trade spun out into other mini-trades, photographing for her friend also staying with her - Amelie - as well as fellow acroyogi - Anna-Maria - and even the nearby coffee shop Das Laden Cafe. Portraits, yoga, coaching photos, music nights... the trade(s) made for a mishmash of styles and subjects.

Location

Trade

Richard Tilney-Bassett

British photographer moving between hosts and countries through a back-to-back series of creative trades. Exchanging my photography for all of my needs in a mission to reach every continent without needing money.